Trump Claims Kobe Bryant Was “Having a Hard Time With Somebody” Before He Stepped In [Video]

Donald Trump says he once stepped in to help Kobe Bryant during a heated altercation nearly three decades ago, confirming a long-circulating story about a tense moment during NBA All-Star Weekend in New York.

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Trump brought up the incident during a sit-down conversation with boxer and influencer Jake Paul while the two were in Kentucky this week for a rally. When Paul asked whether he had ever been in a fight himself, Trump recalled the moment involving the late Lakers legend.

“That was a long time ago. Yeah, well I was breaking up a fight, which sometimes is more dangerous than being in a fight,” Trump said.

But I like Kobe. Kobe was having a hard time with somebody, and it worked out fine. But yeah, I broke it up — probably not a smart thing to do. Historically, it’s never good to break up fights.”

The exchange confirmed a story that has circulated for years about an incident during the 1998 NBA All-Star Weekend in New York. Sports writer Jeff Pearlman previously reported that Bryant was riding in an elevator at the Grand Hyatt hotel with former NBA players Jayson Williams and Charles Oakley, along with Trump.

According to the account, tension began after Williams felt Bryant did not greet him with the level of respect he expected from a younger player. The disagreement reportedly escalated quickly inside the elevator.

Trump said he stepped in to defuse the situation rather than participate in it, helping calm things down before things got worse.

Bryant’s estate has not responded publicly to Trump’s claims.